From Goalies to Wings: 5 Top Trades in the History of the Dallas Stars

The goal of almost all trades is to make a better team. Yes, players do occasionally get traded because of cost, but winning is every team’s number one goal with trades. The Dallas Stars have seen their fair share of trades through the years. Take a look at these five top trades that helped them go on to with the Stanley Cup and other championships.

Dallas Stars Trade Jerome Iginla for Joe Nieuwendyk

Losing Jerome Iginla was sad, but acquiring Joe Nieuwendyk provided a way for the Dallas Stars to win the Stanley Cup in 1999. Nieuwendyk is an amazing player — he is the only hockey player to have won the Stanley Cup with three different teams. This speaks loads about his hockey skills. Niewendyk is also a gold medal Olympian from the 2002 Winter Games. Acquiring him was probably the best trade the Dallas Stars ever made.

Dave Semenko Traded In Exchange for Second and Third Round Draft Picks

This trade happened during the 1979 draft. Dave Semenko was a sad loss for the Dallas Stars because of his fierce demeanor. He was known as “Wayne Gretzky’s bodyguard.” However, gaining a second and third round draft pick allowed the stars to get Neal Broten. He was the first hockey player to score 100 points in a single season. Additionally, he had two NHL All-Star game appearances and competed in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Neal Broten’s Brother Paul is Traded for Guy Carbonneau

Paul Broten was a decent player, but he was always overshadowed by his brother, Neal, on the Dallas Stars. In 1999 Paul was traded to St. Louisfor Guy Carbonneau. Carbonneau was a defensive forward who helped the Stars with the Stanley Cup that year. He was instrumental for a couple more years on the team, too. He retired from the NHL and became a coach for the Canadiens, and then the Assistant General Manager for the Dallas Stars.

Kevin Hatcher Is Traded to Pittsburgh for Sergei Zubov

This was an awesome trade made by the Dallas Stars because Sergei Zubov went on to be a defensive idol. Hatcher was never at the same level. Zubov had 549 points during his 12-season career. He also won a Stanley Cup and appeared in three All-Star games. The Dallas Stars were the clear winner in this trade.

Ivan Vishnevskiy Traded for Goalie Kari Lehtonen

Kari Lehtonen is still pretty young, and should have a bright future with the Dallas Stars as goaltender. Vishnevskiy hasn’t played in an NHL game since the trade, showing that the Dallas Stars made the best trade. Lehtonen isn’t one of the greats yet, but with the way he is playing, he could be in the future. You can buy Dallas Stars tickets and still see Lehotonen play today.

These are just a few of the awesome trades made by the Dallas Stars. Others include trading James Neal for Matt Niskanen and trading Janne Niinimaa for Mike Ribeiro. What do you think The Dallas Stars’ best trade has been?